"I applaud Michael Sam for his incredible courage to come out. He could – and should – become the first openly-gay NFL player in history. Who he is or who he loves shouldn’t be a big deal, but it is because he is the first to blaze this trail. The importance of his leadership on this issue cannot be understated – even as we hear about the possible reluctance of teams to take a chance on a player who happens to be gay. I hope to see Michael Sam play for a team deserving of his incredible talents – perhaps even right here in Seattle for our Super Bowl Champion Seahawks."

While serving in the Washington State legislature, then Senator Murray was a key architect of Washington State's anti-discrimination, domestic partnership and marriage equality laws.